A trial of strength in Ukrainian politics after the head of the special services resigns

On 18 June, at the request of President Petro Poroshenko, the Ukrainian parliament dismissed Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, the head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). This unexpected dismissal was the result of his growing independence in running the SBU, and also a possible conflict between the ruling camp and the oligarch Dmytro Firtash, with whom Nalyvaichenko is linked. The sacking revealed a new dispute within the ruling camp, and reminds us that there is a rivalry in Ukraine between the government and the oligarchic circles which control the energy sector. At stake in the current conflict is the future of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc (BPP), which includes the UDAR party, within which Firtash still retains influence. In view of the upcoming local elections (at the end of October) and weakening support for the main forces of the coalition government, Poroshenko wants to create a strong, unified pro-presidential party. Meanwhile, Firtash is seeking either to maintain the ‘federal’ character of the BPP, or to remove UDAR from it.